Vehicles may use a timing belt or chain to drive various components in an internal combustion engine.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,882,819 describes an oil jet member that lubricates a drive chain for a balancing shaft. The system includes a reservoir chamber that supplies oil to a tensioner for distribution to the drive chain, wherein the oil jet member is positioned between the reservoir and the tensioner. The oil jet member is fixed by a bolt and communicates with a bolt bore to distribute oil to the tensioner.
The inventors herein have recognized various issues with the above system. In particular, the bolt bore is exterior to the bolt and thus a housing surrounding the bold must be machined to provide a passage for oil distribution. As such, a separate housing must be machined for each vehicle application.
As such, one example approach to address the above issues is to provide an oil passage that is internal to a pivot pin. In this way, it is possible to deliver oil to an engine drive system, without designing a housing to accommodate each vehicle application. Specifically, the pivot pin may include an internal oil passage with one or more branches that are in fluidic communication with an oil delivery system such that oil is received from the oil delivery system and expelled from the pivot pin to lubricate a component of the engine drive system. Further, by taking advantage of the internal oil passage, the pivot pin may impart additional functionality, which may reduce engine weight by eliminating other features. For example, the pivot pin may enable a chain guide to pivot about the pivot pin to maintain tension in the chain, while providing oil to the chain for lubrication.
Note that the pivot pin with the internal oil passage may be associated with other engine drive system components, and/or other engine components. Further, more than one pivot pin may be included to lubricate components, if desired.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.